Palm announcedtoday the Palm Pre, the company's next generation Linux-based web tech-enabled operating system. It has a fast CPU, Wifi, Bluetooth with A2DP support, removable battery, 3.1" touchscreen 480x320 LCD, gesture-enabled UI at the bottom half of the phone's body, 3 MP camera with LED flash, multi-touch, accelerometer, slide-out keyboard, GPS, EVDO, and an impressive, fresh UI. Sprint will be the first carrier to sell the smartphone, at the first half of 2009. ArsTechnica has a nice write-up too.

I've commented in previous articles that I've always been a fan of Palm hardware, and even had a soft spot for PalmOS until it was left to rot for so long.

Indeed, my 800w is a fine piece of hardware even though it was quickly eclipsed by the Treo Pro, but Windows Mobile has been really painful. It is slow, bloated, and crashes frequently. It has zero intuition and single-handed operation is out of the question. Worst of all, there seems to be a lack of useful or quality apps that were abundant in PalmOS.

I am a bit mad that I paid $500 for such a lemon. The Pre looks like just the thing to get me back on board with Palm and get them back in the game.

I quite like Sprint as a provider - EVDO really lives up to expectations - and I only pay $5 a month for my grandfathered in unlimited data plan. So this looks like it'll be my next handset..

One of the people, above is happy because they expect to use this on their grandfathered low cost plan.

Sorry, this handset will likely not be allowed to that person until they convert to one of the much more expensive Simply Everything with Data and GPS plans. Sprint tested this idea with its last network dependent non Windrows Mobile Smart-device, the Instinct.

The Sprint person on the stage at the Palm Launch talked about one thing, raise the Average Revenue Per User.

Price of these phones is the price of the phone plus any forced changes on your service plan. This phone will be used to significantly raise monthly service costs for Sprint customers.

You will see. If you have an older inexpensive plan, *even that already includes data*, or a SERO plan, or a three or dour person family plan, you will be forced up to a minimum of $70.

If you have anything but the highest priced plans, it would not not matter if Sprint sells the Palm Tre for $10 it will the most expensive phone you ever bought.